Spacer and seal for building construction



Dec. 24, 1946. N G. A. U-NVERFERTH ,2

SPACER AND SEAL FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 17, 1945 INVENTOR 6:201:04. UIYVERFERTH 1/15 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPACER AND SEAL FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 7' Claims.

This invention relates to an improved spacer and seal for cementing and properly spacing rows of contiguous building blocks, especially glass building blocks.

When indoor partitions orwalls are constructed of glass brick or blocks, they need only be securely held in stacked relation and sealing of the joints is not necessary. However, when outside walls are to be built of the glass bricks or blocks, then sealing against weatheris just as important as securing said blocks in proper stacked relation, for a poor seal between contiguous block surfaces permits moisture to accumulate which moisture, in freezing weather, causes the expanding ice to fracture the block and ruin the construction.

It is among the objects .of the present invention to provide prefabricated spacer-seals which predeterminately conform in shape to the contour of the engaged sides of the building blocks and which are covered with a non-hardening and nonsoluble by water adhesive coating which, when placed between adjacent bricks sealingly cements contiguous sides of the building bricks together in properly stacked relation.

A further object of the present invention is to eliminate completely the expensive and time consuming pointing or seam finishing operation by leaving bare the two edges of the spacer-seal elements aligning with the front and rear surfaces of the blocks engaged thereby and covering with the non-hardening adhesive, only those surfaces engaging the building blocks or cooperating edges of adjacent spacer-seals.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows one form of spacer seal placed between two superposed building blocks shownin fragmentary section.

Fig. 2 is a front or rear edge view of the spacerseal.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, either top or bottom of the spacer-seal shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a'view similar to Fig. 1, however, here, the two vertical spacer-sealsareshown in position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary'view'of thebea'd edge finish adjacent the corners of four contiguous building blocks.

Fig. 6 is an end view of a vertical spacer-seal.

Fig. 7 is a'fragmentary, enlarged 'detail'sh'owingtheapplication ofthe'mastic oradhesive coat- '2 ing especially on a spacer-seal having a rounded front or rear edge; and

Fig. '8 is a sectional view of a spacer-seal having a modified contour to fit a particular building block side.

As stated in the preamble, this invention relates to a device which not only cements contiguous sides of building block such as glass bricks together for holding them in properly aligned, stacked relation, but also seals the joint against moisture and weather and completely eliminates the tedious and expensive finishing operation termed pointing necessary when other methods using mortar, plaster or similar building materials are employed.

Referring to the drawing the spacer-seal is shown in the form of a prefabricated shim. Glass bricks are generally rectangular in shape coming in standard sizes suchas six, eight or twelve inches square front and rear faces and approximately four inches thick. Different glass bricks have differently designed frontand rear surfaces to vary the control of light transmission and the sides of the bricks differ in contour. Fig. 1 of the drawing shows a shim 20 interposed between the top surface of one brick 2| and the bottom surface of the superposed brick 22. In cross section the shim is wider at its longitudinal center 23 and tapers to the narrower longitudinal edges. Where a flush joint is desired, as shown at 23 in Fig. 1, both longitudinal edges of the shim are squared as at 23, however, when a beaded joint is specified, then both longitudinal edges of the shim are rounded as at 24. When one side of the trim is to be flush and the other beaded then the shim has its two edges shaped as shown in Fig. 1.

The shims are preferably made from any suitable moldable material such as glass, Tenite, Bakelite or any other translucent condensation product having the same or nearly the same coefficient of expansion andcontraction as the bricks used. They may also be made of wood or metal. The two wide surfaces of the shim are predeterminately shaped to conform with and fit the contour of the side of theglass brick with which it engages. (See Figs. 1 and .8.) The molded shims are provided with longitudinalreenforcing elements such as metal wire or the like.

To builda wall of glass brick, shim'strips of two lengths are necessary. If, for instance, glass bricks having front and rear surfaces eight inches square are to be used, one shim usedon similar sides of adjacent bricks will be predeterminately longer than the overall dimension of at least two adjacent bricks, the other shim being predeterminately longer than one side of only one brick. Preferably the longer shim is used against the bottom and top sides of the bricks and the shortershim between adjacent vertical sides of the bricks. In practice the longer shim will cover from two to six bricks, as desired properly spaced by intermediate vertical shims, the horizontal or base shim extending beyond the outer sides of the first and last brick a distance substantially one half the width of the space between bricks having a vertical shim therebetween. transverse slots 26 are provided in the two opposite flat surfaces of the longer shim strips, these slots being generally as wide as'the thickness of the flat or beaded edges I23 or I24 respectively of the vertical shim, the adjacent edges of ad jacent slots being spaced a distance equal to the width of the glass blocks used, for instance when eight inch blocks are used this spacing would be eight inches and when six inch blocks are used the spacing would be six inches. The transverse recess 2'! at each end of the longer shim strip is one half as wide as the slots 26 so that when the ends of two shim strips abut their end recesses 21 will combine to form another slot 26.

As shown in Fig. 3, the opposed, flat surfaces of the shim strip 20 are provided with grooves 23 and 29. The grooves 28 in the middle portion of the shim are shown in X formation but may be arranged in any desired staggered relation. The grooves 29 are aligned adjacent the two longitudinal edges of the shim, with their adjacent ends slightly spaced one from the other.

All of the surfaces of the shim strip 20 excepting the edges 23 and 24, which are exposed when the brick is placed on the shim, are coated with a non-hardening adhesive or mastic material as indicated by the numeral 30.

of the slots 26 and the ends of the shim. Thus when a shim is placed on a base or on a horizontal row of glass bricks the adhesive will cause the shim to be cemented to said base or row of bricks and will also form a moisture and weather proof seal at the joint. Placing another shim in aligned position will cause its coated end to adhere to and cement itself to the end of the shim already in place as well as the base or row of glass bricks upon which it is placed. The adhesive in grooves 28 provides a strong area of adhesion and the adhesive in grooves 29 assures a good seal along the edges of the shim exposed to the outside surface of the wall erected.

After a glass brick has been placd in position upon the shim and pressed to adhere thereto, a shorter, vertical shim I20 is placed in position against the one vertical side of the brick. The ends of the shorter shim are shaped to provide a central tongue I26 as wide as the transverse slot 26 in the longer shim into which said tongue extends to interlock the vertical shim to the horizontal one. The cut away portion I2! of the shim I20, to form tongue I26, is shaped to conform with and lit upon the contour of the fiat surface of the horizontal shim as shown in Fig. 4. When a rounded edge 24 on shim 20 is speci fied, the contacting edge I24 of the vertical shim is rounded as at I25, thereby giving a finished edge as shown in Fig. 5.

Like shim 20, the vertical shim I20 has grooves 28 and 29 and for the same purposes. The ver' tical shim is also completely coated with an adhesive or mastic material excepting, like shim 2B,

Spaced This material fills grooves 28 and 29 as well as coating the surfaces 4 its edges I23 and I24 which align with the front and rear faces of the glass brick.

When both shims have rounded edges as shown at 24 and I24, the adhesive coating extends only along the flat surfaces contacted by the sides of the glass brick and stops where the curved surface begins. (See Fig. '7.) However, when the shims have fiat edges, to be flush with the faces of adjacent bricks only those flat edges are free of adhesive material. Thus when the glass brick is placed upon a horizontal shim, or a vertical shim is pressed against a side of the brick, the exposed edge of the shim is clear and provides a neat and clean trim thereby eliminating the necessity of further tedious and expensive work in "pointing or finishing the joint and later cleaning the faces of the bricks.

Fig. 8 shows a glass brick having a side contoured differently from that shown in Fig. 1. The shims may be fashioned and shaped to conform and fit upon any shaped side of a glass brick. Where a curved wall is to be built, the lon er shims are curved laterally to conform with the curvature of the bricks used for this purpose, however, they will still retain all of the characteristics of the straight shim strip.

The shim strips may be kept in a waxed wrapper to which the adhesive or mastic coating will not adhere. This adhesive, as has been previously mentioned, is water proof and of a nonhardenin character, thus maintaining its elasticity and sealing qualities. Interlocking of the shims and contacted sides of the bricks as well as the vertical shims upon the horizontal ones tend to a strong. rigid assembly of properly aligned bricks held together by a water and weather proof elastic joint. This insures against fracture of the bricks and resultant leakage.

When an opening in a building is to have a glass brick wall or window, said opening is generally lined with a compressible and expandible liner into which the wall or window is built. Thus expansion or contraction of the assembled wall or window due to varying temperature to which it r is subjected, is compensated for by the resilient frame or liner surrounding it. In an assembly where shims or spacers are used between the bricks, said spacers having a coeflicient of expansion and contraction differing widely from that of the bricks themselves, changing temperatures will cause the bricks to expand or contract at quite a different rate than the spacers therebetween thus avoiding the benefits offered by the resilient frame or liner and often resulting in fracture of some of the bricks in the assembly. For this reason it is preferable and advisable to make the pre-fabricated liner or shim of the same material as the brick itself or a material having the same or substantially the same coefiicient of expansion or contraction. In such a case, the entire assembly will expand or contract evenly, substantially as a unit and render effective the resilient frame or liner provided to compensate therefor. The adhesive between the shims and bricks is comparativly thin and being flexible as well as tenacious will have no effect upon expansion or contraction of the bricks and shims but on the contrary will maintain its seal between them under all conditions. Thus the present invention not only insures a lasting seal between the bricks but the shims being of the same or nearly the same coeflicient of.expansion as the bricks, also assures expansion or contraction of the entire wall or window as a unit thereby permitting the surrounding resilient 5 frame to function and prevent fracture of the bricks of which said unit is built.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A prefabricated spacer-seal for securing contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation, comprising a non-compressible shim, two opposite sides of which are predeterminately shaped to conform with and fit the contour of the side surfaces of the building block two edges of the shim substantially aligning with the front and back surfaces of the building block when it is placed into fitting position thereon, the two ends of the shim having means for interlocking with the engaging end of a similar shim placed against the other, adjacent side of the building block; and a water proof, non-hardening adhesive coating on all surfaces of the shim excepting the front and back edges thereof.

2. A prefabricated spacer-seal for securing contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation, comprising a non-compressible shim, two opposite sides of which are predeterminately shaped to conform with and fit the contour of the side surfaces of thebuilding block, said sides being provided with grooves, two edges of the shim substantially aligning with the respective front and back surfaces of the building block when it is placed into fitting engagement thereon, the other two edges having means for inter locking with the engaging end of a similar shim placed against the other, adjacent side of the building block; and a water proof non-hardening adhesive coating On the two, groove surfaces of the shim, filling the grooves and also on the said other two edges of the shim, the first mentioned, two edges having no adhesive thereon.

3. A prefabricated spacer-seal for cementing together all contiguous sides of building blocks in proper alignment, comprising non-compressible shim strips of a material having a coefiicient of expansion and contraction substantially equal to that of the block and of two different lengths, those engaging two opposite sides of a building block being of a predetermined length at least greater than the overall dimension in one direction of two building block faces and those engaging the other two opposite sides of a block being predeterminately longer than the overall dimension in the other direction of only one building block face, the block contacting surfaces of all of the shims being predeterminately shaped to conform with and fit the contour of the sides of the building block, the longer shims providing spaced notches for receiving the ends of the shorter shims whereby said long and shorter shims are interlocked, the width of all shims being substantially equal to the distance between the front and rear surfaces of the building block; and an adhesive coating on all surfaces of the shims excepting their two opposite, longer edges.

4. A prefabricated spacer-seal for cementing contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation, comprising non-compressible shims molded of any suitable material having substantially the same coefficient of expansion and contraction as the building blocks and predeterminately shaped so that two opposite sides conform with and fit the side surfaces of the building block, two edges of the shim being finished and extending beyond the front and back surfaces of the building block when placed thereon, for providing a finish bead between two contiguous blocks when they are cemented together, the other two edges of the shim extending beyond the adjacent sides of the block and providing means for interlocking with the ends of the shims on the adjacent sides of the block; and a mastic coating of non-hardening water proof material covering all surfaces of the plastic shim excepting its finished front and back edges.

5. A prefabricated spacer-seal for cementing rows of contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation, comprisin a non-compressible plastic shim having a reenforcing element molded therein; the two opposite, broad surfaces of the shim being predeterminately shaped to fit the contour of the building block sides, two edges of the shim substantially aligning with the front and rear surfaces of the building blocks upon which they fit, the two ends of the shim, extending beyond the sides of the block and providing means for interlocking with the ends of the shims placed on adjacent sides of the block; staggered grooves in the broad surfaces of the shim; and a non-hardening, mastic coating on all surfaces of the shim excepting those edges which substantially align with the front and back surfaces of the block when said shim is placed thereon, said coating filling the grooves.

6. A prefabricated, spacer seal for cementing rows of contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation with equal spacing therebetween, comprising non-compressible, plastic shim strips, all of which have broad opposite surfaces predeterminately molded to conform with and fit the contour of the sides of the building blocks, said broad surfaces being of such a width that two edges of each shim substantially align with the front and rear surfaces of the building blocks when the shims are placed against the blocks, the two shims engaging two opposite sides of a row of building blocks being predeterminately longer than the contacted sides of at least two building blocks and the two shims engaging the two other opposite sides of the building blocks being predeterminately longer than the over all dimension of the face of only the one building blocks engaged thereby, the broad, block contacting surfaces of the longer shims having spaced, transverse notches for receiving the ends of the shorter shims to interlock the two; grooves in the block contacting surfaces of all shims; reenforcing elements molded in said shims; and a non-hardening mastic coating on all surfaces of the shims excepting those substantially aligning with the front and rear surfaces of the building blocks when said shims are placed thereon.

'7. A prefabricated spacer-seal for cementing contiguous building blocks in proper stacked relation, comprising shims formed of any suitable non-compressible material having substantially the same coefiicient of expansion and contraction as the building blocks with which it is used, the two opposite, wider surfaces of a shim being predeterminately shaped to conform with and fit the contour of the sides of the building block, two opposite edges of the shim substantially aligning with the front and rear surfaces of the building block when said shim is placed thereon; a water proof and non-hardening adhesive coating on all the surfaces of the shim excepting the faces of the two opposite edges mentioned; and means on the shim adjacent each side of the block for interlockingly engaging the shim placed against the adjacent side of the block.

GERARD A. UNVERFERTH. 

